April 25, 2018

Photographer Profile: Collard Studios

Today, we profile the creative duo and couple behind Collard Studios, who capture vibrant commercial and lifestyle photography for clients like the Four Seasons and BMW. Read their full Q&A and see selections from their portfolio below.

Liam: Our French Bulldog Bob when we are on location is very tough to live without.

Stam: Agreed, it’s the one downside to all our amazing adventures.

What motivates you:

Liam: Knowing that life is short and having the wonderful opportunity to visit and capture so many of the worlds most fantastic places is a real privilege and I’m grateful and motivated by that every day.

Stam: I’m motivated to keep on improving and learning to be a better creative and story teller so i can continue to do what i love for a living.

Time of day are you most creative: Definitely sunrise, it has a special energy to be up whist the world around you stirs into life.

Biggest challenge:

Liam: In this busy world we live in, finding authentic moments away from the tourist crowds takes some persistence, but it’s always fun looking for that and really exploring the places we visit.

Stam: Documenting or photographing local people or communities that don’t speak the same language can be tough, but lots of smiles and friendly body language normally works well.

One piece of advice that stuck with you:

Stam: Take the photos you love to take, not the photos you think people want to see, and you will be better than you imagine you can be.

Liam: Learn your craft by spending money on experiences not equipment, as the camera doesn’t take good photos the photographer does.

Mistake you’ve learned from: If the photo isn’t good enough you are not close enough.

Project you are most proud of: We worked at a remote hill tribe settlement in Northern Thailand to document their way of life. As they integrate more and more into society, their traditions are being lost, so it felt very special to get access and spend some time learning about their history and culture.

Hidden talent:

Liam: Stam’s an amazing artist and paints these wonderful drip paintings when she has some time at home in Phuket.

Stam: Teaching our French Bulldog how to do bizarre tricks.

Dream project:

Liam: I’d love to go to Mount Ethos in Greece, a private island where monks live who adhere to very strict Christian traditions over 1000 years old. Only men are allowed to visit and its very hard to get proper access, but I hope to make it there one day.

Stam: Tibet is top of my list of sure.

Lightning round –

Sweet or savory: Sweet for us both – we are both real sugar junkies

Cats or dogs: Dogs of course.

Favorite album: Passenger – All the Little Lights is fantastic and we both love to edit whilst it’s on.

Biggest fear:

Stam: The monitor lizard, which unfortunately lives in huge numbers around where we live. I’m terrified of them.